Showing posts with label US Senator. Show all posts
Showing posts with label US Senator. Show all posts
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Killer Hor Nam Hong Meets US Senator Over War-Era Debt
Friday, April 15, 2011
US senator opposes planned dam on the Mekong River
 |
| US Senator Jim Webb (D-Va) during his visit to Cambodia (Photo: AP) |
DPA
A leading US senator has added his voice to a growing chorus of international opposition to a proposed dam on the mekong River in Laos.
Democrat Senator Jim Webb, chair of the Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Thursday issued a statement raising concerns over the Xayaburi dam project, which could get the go-ahead next week.
Officials from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, through which the lower mekong flows, are to decide on April 22 whether the project is to proceed.
Friday, September 03, 2010
Torture persists in Cambodia
Friday, September 3, 2010
Republican American
From 1976 to 1979, Duch was commandant of S-21, one of the most notorious prisons and interrogation centers in communist dictator Pol Pot's network of torture/death camps. On Duch's orders, 17,000 people, maybe more, were tortured to death for crimes they didn't commit. Their bodies were buried in the mass graves in what came famous as the Cambodian Killing Fields. His camp had only 12 known survivors.
Normally quick to fire off news releases touting his role in shaping foreign relations and international history, Sen. Dodd has been silent about the Duch case. Understandably, the survivors of the Cambodian Holocaust have been more forthcoming. Said a man who survived 12 days of torture at S-21: "I am not satisfied! We are victims two times, once in the Khmer Rouge time and now once again. (Duch's) prison is comfortable, with air-conditioning, food three times a day, fans and everything, I sat on the floor with filth and excrement all around." But this is what can happen when innocent people are left to the mercies of genocidal maniacs so a wet-behind-the-ears U.S. congressman half a world away can score political points with the anti-war left.
For his peacenikery, Mr. Dodd got 35 years in Congress. For exterminating 17,000 people, Duch got 35 years in prison — "11 hours per life," as another S-21 survivor put it — but the sentence was reduced to 19 years to reflect time served and his five years of "illegal detention" in a military prison. Justice is served, said the United Nations.
Gerald Warner of The Daily Telegraph of London offered a different perspective: "The derisory sentence imposed upon a monster testifies to the institutionalized impotence of liberal-controlled societies confronted by evil. The only penalty that could remotely have matched his crimes was death. In so-called 'democratic' countries, however, under the aegis of the EU and U.N. bien-pensant doctrines of clemency, capital punishment is deemed 'barbaric.' That is why Western pseudo-civilization is doomed to extinction at the hands of more ruthless elements. Sparing the life of a creature like Duch is not civilized, it is effete. It does not testify to our regard for the sanctity of human life, but to our rulers' contempt for it.
"A society that hangs a man for stealing a loaf of bread, as ours used to do, has disregard for the sanctity of human life; but a system that does not punish murder with death displays even more indifference to the rights of innocent life, giving sententious liberal cant precedence over the duty to testify to the value of life by insisting that murderers forfeit their own continued existence. Nor, as the inane liberal mantra intones, would it reduce us to the same level as murderers: that is claptrap."
The trial of Steven Hayes, charged with three counts of murder in the 2007 Cheshire home invasion, begins Sept. 13. His lawyer demanded Superior Court Judge Jon Blue abolish Connecticut's death penalty by judicial fiat. Thankfully, Judge Blue does not share the defense's contempt for the sanctity of human life.
Republican American
"The greatest gift our country can give to the Cambodian people is peace, not guns. And the best way to accomplish that goal is by ending military aid now." — Rep. Christopher J. Dodd, D-2nd District, March 12, 1975For his role in the genocide of 2 million of his countrymen after U.S. military aid to his Southeast Asian nation ended in 1975, Kaing Guek Eav, aka Duch, has become the first Khmer Rouge figure to be convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity by a U.N.-backed tribunal.
From 1976 to 1979, Duch was commandant of S-21, one of the most notorious prisons and interrogation centers in communist dictator Pol Pot's network of torture/death camps. On Duch's orders, 17,000 people, maybe more, were tortured to death for crimes they didn't commit. Their bodies were buried in the mass graves in what came famous as the Cambodian Killing Fields. His camp had only 12 known survivors.
Normally quick to fire off news releases touting his role in shaping foreign relations and international history, Sen. Dodd has been silent about the Duch case. Understandably, the survivors of the Cambodian Holocaust have been more forthcoming. Said a man who survived 12 days of torture at S-21: "I am not satisfied! We are victims two times, once in the Khmer Rouge time and now once again. (Duch's) prison is comfortable, with air-conditioning, food three times a day, fans and everything, I sat on the floor with filth and excrement all around." But this is what can happen when innocent people are left to the mercies of genocidal maniacs so a wet-behind-the-ears U.S. congressman half a world away can score political points with the anti-war left.
For his peacenikery, Mr. Dodd got 35 years in Congress. For exterminating 17,000 people, Duch got 35 years in prison — "11 hours per life," as another S-21 survivor put it — but the sentence was reduced to 19 years to reflect time served and his five years of "illegal detention" in a military prison. Justice is served, said the United Nations.
Gerald Warner of The Daily Telegraph of London offered a different perspective: "The derisory sentence imposed upon a monster testifies to the institutionalized impotence of liberal-controlled societies confronted by evil. The only penalty that could remotely have matched his crimes was death. In so-called 'democratic' countries, however, under the aegis of the EU and U.N. bien-pensant doctrines of clemency, capital punishment is deemed 'barbaric.' That is why Western pseudo-civilization is doomed to extinction at the hands of more ruthless elements. Sparing the life of a creature like Duch is not civilized, it is effete. It does not testify to our regard for the sanctity of human life, but to our rulers' contempt for it.
"A society that hangs a man for stealing a loaf of bread, as ours used to do, has disregard for the sanctity of human life; but a system that does not punish murder with death displays even more indifference to the rights of innocent life, giving sententious liberal cant precedence over the duty to testify to the value of life by insisting that murderers forfeit their own continued existence. Nor, as the inane liberal mantra intones, would it reduce us to the same level as murderers: that is claptrap."
The trial of Steven Hayes, charged with three counts of murder in the 2007 Cheshire home invasion, begins Sept. 13. His lawyer demanded Superior Court Judge Jon Blue abolish Connecticut's death penalty by judicial fiat. Thankfully, Judge Blue does not share the defense's contempt for the sanctity of human life.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Top US senator hails sentence for Khmer Rouge prison chief
Monday July 26, 2010
AFP
AFP
A top US senator on Monday hailed the sentencing of a Khmer Rouge prison chief to 30 years in jail for "Killing Fields"-era atrocities as a "historic, if delayed, step forward for Cambodia."
"Today's sentencing helps deliver an important message that we must steadfastly pursue justice for the victims of the world's most horrific crimes," said Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry.
"The conviction of the head of the Khmer Rouge's most infamous prison represents a historic, if delayed, step forward for Cambodia," said Kerry, a close ally of US President Barack Obama.
In a historic first, a UN-backed court Monday sentenced Khmer Rouge prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, to 30 years in jail for crimes against humanity over mass executions during Cambodia's "Killing Fields" era.
Duch was the first Khmer Rouge cadre to face justice in an international tribunal over the deaths of up to two million people through starvation, overwork and execution under the 1975-1979 regime.
"While not without its imperfections, the trial has allowed thousands of Cambodians to witness and participate in judicial proceedings for the unspeakable atrocities suffered by millions," said Kerry.
But to the dismay of survivors and relatives of victims, the court took into account the years he had already served since his arrest in 1999, meaning that the 67-year-old could walk free in about 19 years.
Kerry helped craft the compromise that led to the formation of the court, travelling to Cambodia several times to help broker the compromise that led to its creation.
"Today's sentencing helps deliver an important message that we must steadfastly pursue justice for the victims of the world's most horrific crimes," said Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry.
"The conviction of the head of the Khmer Rouge's most infamous prison represents a historic, if delayed, step forward for Cambodia," said Kerry, a close ally of US President Barack Obama.
In a historic first, a UN-backed court Monday sentenced Khmer Rouge prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, to 30 years in jail for crimes against humanity over mass executions during Cambodia's "Killing Fields" era.
Duch was the first Khmer Rouge cadre to face justice in an international tribunal over the deaths of up to two million people through starvation, overwork and execution under the 1975-1979 regime.
"While not without its imperfections, the trial has allowed thousands of Cambodians to witness and participate in judicial proceedings for the unspeakable atrocities suffered by millions," said Kerry.
But to the dismay of survivors and relatives of victims, the court took into account the years he had already served since his arrest in 1999, meaning that the 67-year-old could walk free in about 19 years.
Kerry helped craft the compromise that led to the formation of the court, travelling to Cambodia several times to help broker the compromise that led to its creation.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Cambodians ‘Regret’ Loss of Ted Kennedy
Sen. John F. Kennedy, center, D-Mass., and his brothers Edward Kennedy, left, a law student at the University of Virginia, and Robert F. Kennedy, chief counsel to the Senate Rackets Committee, attend the annual Gridiron Club dinner in Washington, D.C., on March 15, 1958.(AP Photo)
By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
28 August 2009
Sen. Edward Kennedy, who died Tuesday at the age of 77, is being remembered around the world for his accomplishments.
In Cambodia, officials said they regretted the loss of a man with so many achievements, but whose deeds would not be forgotten.
Cambodians have an expression, “that the physical is lost in deed, but the reputation remains as a widespread fragrance inside and outside the country,” said Cheam Yeap, a Cambodian People’s Party lawmaker.
The youngest brother of John F. Kennedy, the US president assassinated in 1963, Edward Kennedy promoted better living for the American poor, opposed the US war in Iraq and fought to put an end to the US war in Vietnam and war in Cambodia. He helped improve rights for immigrants and endorsed the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama.
Son Chhay, a parliamentarian for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said Cambodia needed examples like Edward “Ted” Kennedy.
“As we’ve seen, in the US there have been memorials to the work of Edward Kennedy, over his achievements,” Son Chhay said. “He was a senator who helped contribute to the government of the US, paid attention to assisting people to live with dignity and advocated without thinking of himself personally.”
Politically, Kennedy was a Democrat and a strong ally of Obama, and his presence would be missed, said Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections.
“It has an effect, because the senator was an important person,” he said. “He had influence and he had a lot of support from people, because he’s in the Kennedy family.”
He was also able to work with Republicans in the Senate, Koul Panha said.
Prak Sereyvuth, vice chairman of the Federal Khmer Krom Association, based in the US, said Kennedy had understood the plight of Cambodians and the US role in it, with the backing of Lon Nol and the wars and consequences that followed.
“He had sympathy for Cambodians…and any refugee who wrote letters to him or their families to intervene,” he said. “His office paid attention and responded quickly, asking the State Department and immigration to take refugees in to the US.”
In Cambodia, officials said they regretted the loss of a man with so many achievements, but whose deeds would not be forgotten.
Cambodians have an expression, “that the physical is lost in deed, but the reputation remains as a widespread fragrance inside and outside the country,” said Cheam Yeap, a Cambodian People’s Party lawmaker.
The youngest brother of John F. Kennedy, the US president assassinated in 1963, Edward Kennedy promoted better living for the American poor, opposed the US war in Iraq and fought to put an end to the US war in Vietnam and war in Cambodia. He helped improve rights for immigrants and endorsed the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama.
Son Chhay, a parliamentarian for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said Cambodia needed examples like Edward “Ted” Kennedy.
“As we’ve seen, in the US there have been memorials to the work of Edward Kennedy, over his achievements,” Son Chhay said. “He was a senator who helped contribute to the government of the US, paid attention to assisting people to live with dignity and advocated without thinking of himself personally.”
Politically, Kennedy was a Democrat and a strong ally of Obama, and his presence would be missed, said Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections.
“It has an effect, because the senator was an important person,” he said. “He had influence and he had a lot of support from people, because he’s in the Kennedy family.”
He was also able to work with Republicans in the Senate, Koul Panha said.
Prak Sereyvuth, vice chairman of the Federal Khmer Krom Association, based in the US, said Kennedy had understood the plight of Cambodians and the US role in it, with the backing of Lon Nol and the wars and consequences that followed.
“He had sympathy for Cambodians…and any refugee who wrote letters to him or their families to intervene,” he said. “His office paid attention and responded quickly, asking the State Department and immigration to take refugees in to the US.”
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
The last Kennedy brother passed away
U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy dies
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
By Scott Malone
BOSTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, a towering figure in the Democratic Party who took the helm of one of America's most fabled political families after two older brothers were assassinated, has died, his family said. He was 77.
"Edward M. Kennedy, the husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle we loved so deeply, died late Tuesday night at home in Hyannis Port (Massachusetts)," the Kennedy family said in a statement.
One of the most influential and longest-serving senators in U.S. history -- a liberal standard-bearer who was also known as a consummate congressional dealmaker -- Kennedy had been battling brain cancer, which was diagnosed in May 2008.
"We've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever," the family statement said.
"He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it. He always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it's hard to imagine any of them without him," the family added.
His death marked the twilight of a political dynasty and dealt a blow to Democrats as they seek to answer President Barack Obama's call for an overhaul of the healthcare system. Kennedy had made healthcare reform his signature cause.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said in a statement the Kennedy family and Senate "have together lost our patriarch."
"As we mourn his loss, we rededicate ourselves to the causes for which he so dutifully dedicated his life."
Known as "Teddy," he was the brother of President John Kennedy, assassinated in 1963, Senator Robert Kennedy, fatally shot while campaigning for the 1968 Democratic presidential nomination, and Joe Kennedy, a pilot killed in World War Two.
When he first took the Senate seat previously held by John Kennedy in 1962, he was seen as something of a political lightweight who owed his ascent to his famous name.
Yet during his nearly half century in the chamber, Kennedy became known as one of Washington's most effective senators, crafting legislation by working with lawmakers and presidents of both parties, and finding unlikely allies.
At the same time, he held fast to liberal causes deemed anachronistic by the centrist "New Democrats," and was a lightning rod for conservative ire.
He helped enact measures to protect civil and labor rights, expand healthcare, upgrade schools, increase student aid and contain the spread of nuclear weapons.
"There's a lot to do," Kennedy told Reuters in 2006. "I think most of all it's the injustice that I continue to see and the opportunity to have some impact on it."
After Robert Kennedy's death, Edward was expected to waste little time in vying for the presidency. But in 1969, a young woman drowned after a car Kennedy was driving plunged off a bridge on the Massachusetts resort island of Chappaquiddick after a night of partying.
Kennedy's image took a major hit after it emerged he had failed to report the accident to authorities. He pleaded guilty to leaving the scene and received a suspended sentence.
Kennedy eventually ran for his party's presidential nomination in 1980 but lost to then-President Jimmy Carter.
His presidential ambitions thwarted, Kennedy devoted himself to his Senate career.
A 2009 survey by The Hill, a Capitol Hill publication, found that Senate Republicans believed Kennedy was the chamber's easiest Democrat to work with and most bipartisan.
Republican Senator John McCain called Kennedy "the single most effective member of the Senate if you want to get results."
In January 2008, Kennedy endorsed Obama, who was serving his first term as a senator, for the Democratic presidential nomination. Many saw the endorsement -- Obama went on to win the nomination and the White House -- as the passing of the political torch to a new generation.
'LION' BATTLED ON
Kennedy had been largely sidelined in Congress since becoming ill. The "Lion of the Senate" began to use a cane and often looked tired and drained as he mixed work with treatment.
Yet colleagues and staff said he remained determined to fulfill what he called "the cause of my life," providing health insurance to all Americans. He helped draft legislation to overhaul the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system.
Kennedy's interest in healthcare dated from his son's bout with cancer in the 1970s. More recently, he cited his own illness as he made a case for reform.
"I've benefited from the best of medicine, but I've also witnessed the frustration and outrage of patients and doctors alike as they face the challenges of a system that shortchanges millions of Americans," he wrote in a May 28, 2009, issue of the Boston Globe.
His charisma as "the last of the Kennedy brothers" was such that draft-Teddy drives were a feature of U.S. presidential election years from 1968 through the 1980s.
But he never fully escaped the cloud of the Chappaquiddick accident. A decades-long argument arose about whether he tried to cover up his involvement by leaving the scene while Mary Jo Kopechne's body remained submerged and whether police helped sweep such questions under the rug. All involved denied any cover-up.
Later crises involving younger Kennedys, notably the 1991 Palm Beach rape trial of his nephew, William Kennedy Smith, caught a bloated and weary-looking Uncle Ted in a media glare. Reports of heavy drinking and womanizing led to a public apology for "the faults in the conduct of my private life."
Kennedy was remarried soon after that to Victoria Reggie, a 38-year-old lawyer with two young children from her first marriage. He poured renewed energy into the Senate, where he would become the third-longest serving senator in history.
Even his Republican foes recognized Kennedy's dedication as he worked to protect civil rights, give federal help to the poor, contain the spread of nuclear weapons, raise the minimum wage, expand health coverage and improve America's schools.
FAMILY STANDARDS
Born on February 22, 1932, Edward Moore Kennedy was the last of four sons and five daughters born to millionaire businessman Joseph Kennedy, who would later be ambassador to Britain, and his wife Rose.
The Boston Irish family combined the competitive spirit of nouveau riche immigrants with acquired polish and natural charm. The sons were expected to mature into presidential timber and were groomed for that starting with the oldest, Joseph Jr., a bomber pilot who died in World War Two.
"I think about my brothers every day," Kennedy told Reuters. "They set high standards. Sometimes you measure up, sometimes you don't."
Like his brothers, Kennedy was known for his oratory, delivered in a booming voice at rallies, congressional hearings and in the Senate.
He drew praise from liberals, labor and civil rights groups and scorn from conservatives, big business and anti-abortion and pro-gun activists. His image was often used by Republicans in ads as a money-raising tool.
Tragedies dogged Kennedy throughout his life. They included a 1964 plane crash that damaged his spine and left him with persistent pain; bone cancer that cost son Teddy a leg; first wife Joan's battles with alcoholism that contributed to their divorce, and drug problems involving nephews, one of whom died of an overdose. His nephew, John Kennedy Jr., died in July 1999 when his small plane crashed into the ocean near Cape Cod.
In May 2008, Edward Kennedy collapsed at his Cape Cod home and was flown to hospital in Boston, where he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Brain cancer kills half its victims within a year.
Kennedy's illness kept him from attending the funeral of his sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a leading advocate of the mentally disabled, who died on August 11 at the age of 88.
(Additional reporting by Thomas Ferraro; Editing by Peter Cooney)
"Edward M. Kennedy, the husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle we loved so deeply, died late Tuesday night at home in Hyannis Port (Massachusetts)," the Kennedy family said in a statement.
One of the most influential and longest-serving senators in U.S. history -- a liberal standard-bearer who was also known as a consummate congressional dealmaker -- Kennedy had been battling brain cancer, which was diagnosed in May 2008.
"We've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever," the family statement said.
"He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it. He always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it's hard to imagine any of them without him," the family added.
His death marked the twilight of a political dynasty and dealt a blow to Democrats as they seek to answer President Barack Obama's call for an overhaul of the healthcare system. Kennedy had made healthcare reform his signature cause.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said in a statement the Kennedy family and Senate "have together lost our patriarch."
"As we mourn his loss, we rededicate ourselves to the causes for which he so dutifully dedicated his life."
Known as "Teddy," he was the brother of President John Kennedy, assassinated in 1963, Senator Robert Kennedy, fatally shot while campaigning for the 1968 Democratic presidential nomination, and Joe Kennedy, a pilot killed in World War Two.
When he first took the Senate seat previously held by John Kennedy in 1962, he was seen as something of a political lightweight who owed his ascent to his famous name.
Yet during his nearly half century in the chamber, Kennedy became known as one of Washington's most effective senators, crafting legislation by working with lawmakers and presidents of both parties, and finding unlikely allies.
At the same time, he held fast to liberal causes deemed anachronistic by the centrist "New Democrats," and was a lightning rod for conservative ire.
He helped enact measures to protect civil and labor rights, expand healthcare, upgrade schools, increase student aid and contain the spread of nuclear weapons.
"There's a lot to do," Kennedy told Reuters in 2006. "I think most of all it's the injustice that I continue to see and the opportunity to have some impact on it."
After Robert Kennedy's death, Edward was expected to waste little time in vying for the presidency. But in 1969, a young woman drowned after a car Kennedy was driving plunged off a bridge on the Massachusetts resort island of Chappaquiddick after a night of partying.
Kennedy's image took a major hit after it emerged he had failed to report the accident to authorities. He pleaded guilty to leaving the scene and received a suspended sentence.
Kennedy eventually ran for his party's presidential nomination in 1980 but lost to then-President Jimmy Carter.
His presidential ambitions thwarted, Kennedy devoted himself to his Senate career.
A 2009 survey by The Hill, a Capitol Hill publication, found that Senate Republicans believed Kennedy was the chamber's easiest Democrat to work with and most bipartisan.
Republican Senator John McCain called Kennedy "the single most effective member of the Senate if you want to get results."
In January 2008, Kennedy endorsed Obama, who was serving his first term as a senator, for the Democratic presidential nomination. Many saw the endorsement -- Obama went on to win the nomination and the White House -- as the passing of the political torch to a new generation.
'LION' BATTLED ON
Kennedy had been largely sidelined in Congress since becoming ill. The "Lion of the Senate" began to use a cane and often looked tired and drained as he mixed work with treatment.
Yet colleagues and staff said he remained determined to fulfill what he called "the cause of my life," providing health insurance to all Americans. He helped draft legislation to overhaul the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system.
Kennedy's interest in healthcare dated from his son's bout with cancer in the 1970s. More recently, he cited his own illness as he made a case for reform.
"I've benefited from the best of medicine, but I've also witnessed the frustration and outrage of patients and doctors alike as they face the challenges of a system that shortchanges millions of Americans," he wrote in a May 28, 2009, issue of the Boston Globe.
His charisma as "the last of the Kennedy brothers" was such that draft-Teddy drives were a feature of U.S. presidential election years from 1968 through the 1980s.
But he never fully escaped the cloud of the Chappaquiddick accident. A decades-long argument arose about whether he tried to cover up his involvement by leaving the scene while Mary Jo Kopechne's body remained submerged and whether police helped sweep such questions under the rug. All involved denied any cover-up.
Later crises involving younger Kennedys, notably the 1991 Palm Beach rape trial of his nephew, William Kennedy Smith, caught a bloated and weary-looking Uncle Ted in a media glare. Reports of heavy drinking and womanizing led to a public apology for "the faults in the conduct of my private life."
Kennedy was remarried soon after that to Victoria Reggie, a 38-year-old lawyer with two young children from her first marriage. He poured renewed energy into the Senate, where he would become the third-longest serving senator in history.
Even his Republican foes recognized Kennedy's dedication as he worked to protect civil rights, give federal help to the poor, contain the spread of nuclear weapons, raise the minimum wage, expand health coverage and improve America's schools.
FAMILY STANDARDS
Born on February 22, 1932, Edward Moore Kennedy was the last of four sons and five daughters born to millionaire businessman Joseph Kennedy, who would later be ambassador to Britain, and his wife Rose.
The Boston Irish family combined the competitive spirit of nouveau riche immigrants with acquired polish and natural charm. The sons were expected to mature into presidential timber and were groomed for that starting with the oldest, Joseph Jr., a bomber pilot who died in World War Two.
"I think about my brothers every day," Kennedy told Reuters. "They set high standards. Sometimes you measure up, sometimes you don't."
Like his brothers, Kennedy was known for his oratory, delivered in a booming voice at rallies, congressional hearings and in the Senate.
He drew praise from liberals, labor and civil rights groups and scorn from conservatives, big business and anti-abortion and pro-gun activists. His image was often used by Republicans in ads as a money-raising tool.
Tragedies dogged Kennedy throughout his life. They included a 1964 plane crash that damaged his spine and left him with persistent pain; bone cancer that cost son Teddy a leg; first wife Joan's battles with alcoholism that contributed to their divorce, and drug problems involving nephews, one of whom died of an overdose. His nephew, John Kennedy Jr., died in July 1999 when his small plane crashed into the ocean near Cape Cod.
In May 2008, Edward Kennedy collapsed at his Cape Cod home and was flown to hospital in Boston, where he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Brain cancer kills half its victims within a year.
Kennedy's illness kept him from attending the funeral of his sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a leading advocate of the mentally disabled, who died on August 11 at the age of 88.
(Additional reporting by Thomas Ferraro; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
US Senator To Visit Cambodia, Region
US Senator Jim Webb (D-Va.)By Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
11 August 2009
US Senator Jim Webb, a Democrat from Virginia, is on a two-week tour to five Southeast Asian countries, including Cambodia, exploring opportunities to advance US interests in the region, officials said.
The senator left on Sunday for a visit to Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, a statement from his office said.
The US Embassy in Phnom Penh was working on a schedule for Webb to meet with Cambodians on a brief stopover here, officials said.
The senator’s visit was welcomed by Cambodians, who have seen relations with the US improve steadily since the country withdrew aid in 1997. Most recently, Cambodia was removed from a US list of countries considered Marxist-Leninist, paving the way for more trade.
“The removal of Cambodia from the US trade blacklist is seen as helping alleviate the living conditions of Cambodians, especially those who live below the poverty line,” said Nguon Nhel, vice president of the National Assembly. “This trade will bring in more investors and exchange of goods.”
Webb, a former soldier, defense planner, writer and business consultant, is the chairman of the East Asia and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee, overseeing US relations in the region and building relationship with organizations such as Asean.
The senator left on Sunday for a visit to Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, a statement from his office said.
The US Embassy in Phnom Penh was working on a schedule for Webb to meet with Cambodians on a brief stopover here, officials said.
The senator’s visit was welcomed by Cambodians, who have seen relations with the US improve steadily since the country withdrew aid in 1997. Most recently, Cambodia was removed from a US list of countries considered Marxist-Leninist, paving the way for more trade.
“The removal of Cambodia from the US trade blacklist is seen as helping alleviate the living conditions of Cambodians, especially those who live below the poverty line,” said Nguon Nhel, vice president of the National Assembly. “This trade will bring in more investors and exchange of goods.”
Webb, a former soldier, defense planner, writer and business consultant, is the chairman of the East Asia and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee, overseeing US relations in the region and building relationship with organizations such as Asean.
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